Musical step sequencer and controller

Abstract

A step sequencer with a four by sixteen grid of buttons is disclosed. The sequencer is used to generate patterns of sounds on different channels. The sequencer can be used as a hardware controller to control music production software. The grid of the sequencer emulates the virtual grid generated in a graphical user interface by the music production software. The grid of the hardware controller is used to control the corresponding grid on the graphical user interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A musical step sequencer, comprising:
 a button grid comprising a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of grid buttons, wherein each of the columns represents a temporal portion of a sound pattern, and one or more patterns are generated by pressing buttons on the grid; and 
 an output, wherein signals corresponding to the one or more patterns are generated at the output, 
 wherein the signals are control signals for controlling a graphical user interface generated by a music production software, the graphical user interface including a virtual representation of the button grid, 
 wherein at least one button within the button grid and at least one corresponding button on the virtual representation of button grid both simultaneously change color when the at least one button is activated, and wherein the color of the activated at least one button and the at least one corresponding button is based on a column that the at least one button is in and frequency content of a sound outputted by the musical step sequencer. 
 
     
     
       2. The step sequencer of  claim 1 , wherein the output is a USB port. 
     
     
       3. The step sequencer of  claim 1 , wherein the signals are MIDI on or off signals. 
     
     
       4. The musical step sequencer of  claim 1 , wherein the color indicates a presence of high-frequency content when the at least one button is in a column on a right side of the musical step sequencer and indicates a presence of low-frequency content when the at least one button is in a column on a left side of the musical step sequencer. 
     
     
       5. The musical step sequencer of  claim 4 , wherein colors of the button grid mimic a spectral image of the sound. 
     
     
       6. A system comprising:
 a computer; 
 a step sequencer; 
 music production software running on said computer, said music production software including instructions for generating a graphical user interface that includes a virtual representation of a grid of buttons corresponding to the step sequencer wherein each column in the grid represents a temporal portion of a sound pattern; and 
 the step sequencer coupled to the computer and used to control the music production software, the step sequencer having a grid of buttons corresponding to the virtual grid of buttons on said graphical user interface, wherein pressing a button on said step sequencer causes the corresponding button on said graphical user interface to be activated, 
 wherein at least one button within the grid of buttons and at least one corresponding button on the virtual representation both simultaneously change color when the at least one button is activated, and wherein the color of the activated at least one button and the at least one corresponding button is based on a column that the at least one button is in and frequency content of a sound outputted by the musical step sequencer. 
 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the both the grid of buttons and the virtual representation are 4 rows by 16 columns. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein each row corresponds to a channel and each column corresponds to a step in a sequence. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein a sequence programmed on said step sequencer is simultaneously programmed by said music production software. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 9 , wherein playing a sequence on the step sequencer cause a same sequence to play on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 10 , wherein playing a sequence on the step sequencer causes the corresponding buttons to activate on the grid of buttons on said graphical user interface. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 6 , wherein the grid buttons on the controller are soft touch RGB.